10 Reasons Why an iPhone Owner Bought a Samsung Galaxy S8+

When Samsung announced its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ in March, for the first time, I felt compelled to try something new. As a longtime Apple iPhone owner who purchased a new iPhone every two years since 2007, I’m firmly entrenched in Apple’s mobile ecosystem. But after seeing the Galaxy S8 and S8+, I felt compelled to make a move. I didn’t give up my iPhone 7 Plus. My family and I are still too firmly connected to the Apple world to do that. But I did decide to buy a Galaxy S8+ and use it alongside my iPhone. I’ve been thinking about getting an Android handset for a couple of years, but none struck me as a must-have until I saw the Galaxy S8+. Now just days until I have it, here’s a look at why I decided to bring a Samsung device into my Apple world.

I chose the Galaxy S8+ in part because of its screen size. The device comes with a 6.2-inch screen featuring a quad-HD resolution. While I would’ve preferred a 4K display, it was good enough. I also like the idea of the larger aspect ratio, though I’ll need to stretch 16:9 videos to

The Samsung Galaxy S8+ comes with a top-of-the-line processor in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. According to several benchmarks that have surfaced of late, the chip is even more powerful than the A10 processor in my iPhone 7 Plus. As someone who uses resource-intensive apps, a powerful processor is a must.

Samsung’s Galaxy S8+ comes with an outstanding design. Not only is it thin and sleek, but it also has curved edges. Perhaps the most attractive features for me, however, are the small bezels at the top and bottom and the lack of a physical home button. There’s something to be said for future-proofed designs.

When evaluating the Galaxy S8+, I was struck by Samsung’s new virtual personal assistant Bixby. Because of the limitations with Apple’s Siri, I have found myself ignoring the feature. Bixby, however, has the ability to deliver contextual information, provide shopping advice and offer information about whatever it’s peering at through the camera, and so I don’t feel I’ll be as limited.

The Galaxy S8+ ships with a 3,500mAh battery that, according to Samsung, can last up to 40 hours on a single charge. My iPhone 7 Plus can barely get me through the day. Also of importance to me is the fact that Samsung supports wireless charging—a feature Apple has never offered in the iPhone, much to my chagrin.

Samsung generally makes reliable software. The company’s S Health app is quite nice, and the TouchWiz interface it slaps atop Android is arguably the best Android skin in the industry. Add that to Bixby, Samsung Pay and others, and Samsung has delivered a fine software experience to users.

Apple’s Touch ID is the most reliable fingerprint sensor I’ve ever encountered. And its integration with the company’s (and third-party) apps is outstanding. But I still like the idea of having multiple security layers at my disposal. If the Galaxy S8+’s oddly placed fingerprint sensor doesn’t do the trick, I can opt for its iris scanner or facial-recognition feature. Flexibility in security is critical.

As noted, I’ve been in the market for an Android handset for quite some time, but none was worth buying—until the Galaxy S8 line came along. Most Android devices suffer from poor hardware-software integration. They’re also generally slow to receive security updates and come with nice, but not must-have, features. The Galaxy S8+ feels different, and it’s why I chose it.

While I plan to keep my iPhone 7 Plus alongside the Galaxy S8+, I’m concerned about what the future might hold for Apple. If the company is indeed working on a major update with an all-glass design and curved screen to be known as the iPhone 8, I’ll be first in line to buy it. But I am not convinced that what we’re hearing is steeped in reality. Apple has delivered only modest iPhone upgrades in recent years, and it’s causing me to wonder whether I can count on the company to deliver the best in smartphone innovation, something that Samsung has done with the Galaxy S8+.

There’s an elephant in the room: the Galaxy Note7. However, the fact that Samsung’s ill-fated handset suffered from serious battery flaws that some to explode didn’t factor into my decision. Samsung says it has overhauled its battery-management policies and will deliver safe batteries in the future. I believe—but admittedly can’t say for sure—that the Galaxy S8+’s battery will be safe.